This invention relates to automatically assuring that the last mouth downward container loaded into a multi-container dispenser can be oriented in a reserve mode. In other words, this invention relates to allowing the first container in the multi-container dispenser to be the first container out of the dispenser (FIFO) to assure a constant relatively fresh fluent supply.
In certain dispenser applications such as in locker rooms or in factories, heavy surges of consumption are anticipated after workouts or during a shift in a factory. In these situations, there must be fluent supply available when it is needed. The term fluent supply is used to describe the many types of flowable materials which can be used in the claimed dispensers including liquids, granules, pastes or creams.
There have been proposed various large capacity containers in an attempt to meet this need. Large capacity containers, however, are clumsy and difficult to handle and, thus, are prone to have accidental spills. Also, they do not facilitate ease of replacement when they are nearly exhausted and, thus, lead to prolonged interruption of fluent supply.
There have also been proposed the use of two or more containers which dispense fluent supply to the same reservoir, tank, manifold, chamber or the like. In these devices a container can automatically go from a reserve mode to a primary dispensing mode. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,804 to DeMan or U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,118 to Johnson disclose a plurality of containers in a mouth downward position with the entry point of fluent supply of each of these containers being at varying heights. The entry point of fluent supply into a reservoir of a mouth downward container can be where a container has an open-mouth or it can be at an open end of a nozzle, hose or the like which is connected to the container.
The reservoir of this type of device fills to the point of the highest most entry point of fluent supply so that the container associated with the highest elevation of entry of fluent supply is in the primary dispensing position while the remaining containers are in the reserve position. Thus, when the container associated with the highest entry point of fluent supply is exhausted, the supply level will drop in the reservoir for the second highest entry point of fluent supply container to be in the primary position. The empty container can then be replaced with a new container. The problem with these disclosures is that the replacement bottle which is installed at the higher elevation will go into the primary position and the bottles at the lower elevation entry points of fluent supply may continuously remain in a reserve position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,193 to Totten discloses moving the reserve container to the higher elevation to obtain a first-in-first-out (FIFO) operation in the dispensing of fluids. In particular, when the primary container is exhausted, Totten discloses flipping or rotating both the exhausted primary container and the reserve container from a mouth downward dispensing position to a mouth upward position. Totten then discloses separating the reserve container completely from the dispenser and inserting this same container into the location of the exhausted empty container. A new container is then added where the reserve container was placed. The complete system is flipped again so that both containers are in a mouth downward position. After this reflipping, the prior reserve container is now positioned with its entry point of fluent supply at a higher elevation than it was before servicing so that it is in the primary dispensing position.
Totten suffers from at least two disadvantages, however. First, the steps of flipping both containers to a mouth upward position, physically separating both containers from the dispenser, reinserting a possibly full container and reflipping this assembly provides for complicated and cumbersome servicing. Second, flipping the containers into a mouth upward position and removing the possibly full reserve container for reinsertion into a new position, increases the likelihood that the servicemen could have a spill.